• take a leadership position by serving as chair or co-chair of one (1) or more committees.
• Serve on at least three (3) committees.
• Solicit contributions in fundraising campaigns to support HARA, its programs and activities..
• Participate in formulating long- and short– term objectives and goals.
• Actively participate in the activities of HARA.
• Ensure that all HARA actions, activities,and programs are fair to the members the Board serves, and that no group or individual member is given preference.

If you are interested and are willing toaccept the responsibilities and expectations that go along with a seat on the board, please submit your name and a short bio by calling the office by phone at (808) 593-9424 or by email:info@nahokuhanohano.org. If you do nominate someone else for the board HARA will contact them to confirm that they are interested in serving and are willing to meet the expectations of the position.

I also have some thoughts I’d like to share on the email blasts which have been sent out from the HARA office in support of certain candidates over the past week.

HARA does offer a service to all HARA members – the use of HARA’s member postal and email list to distribute information. This is a paid service, and the cost depends on which service you use, and in the case of postal mail, what kind of mail it is (postcard, letter, CD/DVD package, etc.) The most common use of this service is during the voting process for the Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards – artists and labels can use the service to send out postcards, letters, copies of CDs or “email blasts” to inform members about their entries and nominees.

I have no problem with HARA offering this service. In the case of both Nā Hōkū and Board of Governor voting, it can help to level the playing field – artists and those seeking a seat on the Board of Governors who are less known by the membership have the opportunity to let potential voters know about their releases or candidacy.

I have some reservations about a recent email blast that went out in support of a substantial list of candidates – 11 candidates were endorsed by a group only identified as “their friends and family”, even though only five seats are open for the election. I learned from our office staff that the endorser(s) requested anonymity, which I found even more troubling. I began to wonder if the endorsement was as much an endorsement of those candidates, or against those not listed as there were far more listed on the endoresment than were not.

I have discussed this situation with some of my colleagues on the Board of Governors, and we will be addressing it at our meeting this week. I’m still not sure how I really feel about this. Regardless, members should know that no email blast that comes from the HARA office is an endoresment by HARA or its Board of Governors, and this fact is stated clearly in each email blast that goes out.

If any HARA member has a strong feeling one way or another about this service in either context – for Nā Hōkū Hanohano voting or for the Board of Governor election, please feel free to share your thoughts with me.

1. Aloha Pumehana, Darlene Ahuna
2. Papaku Bring It Home, Faith Thompson Ako
3. Aloha ‘Anianiau Leilani Rivera Bond
4. Hawaiian Man, Brother Noland
5. He Nani, Tia Carrere & Daniel Ho
6. Somewhere, Danny Carvalho
7. Friends & Family Of Hawai‘i, Amy Hānaiali‘i
8. Ho‘ōla I Ka Poli, Kawaikapuokalani Hewett
9. Nani Mau Loa, Ho‘okena
10. Kani Wai – Sound Of Water, George Kahumoku, Jr. & Bob Brozman
11. ‘Ī, Natalie Ai Kamau‘u
12. Kaua‘i, Keli‘I Kaneali‘I
13. Pili O Ke Ao, Kūpaoa
14. Mailani, Mailani
15. Venus, And The Sky Turns To Clay, Makana
16. Solo ‘Ukulele Orchestrations, Gordon Mark
17. From The Heart, Noly Pa‘a
18. …With Aloha, Pali
19. Nāpo’ona Mahina: The Illusion Of Reality, Aaron J. Salā
20. Masters Of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar, Volume 2, Various Artists

I do want to remind everyone about the MELE Songwriter’s Workshop that will be held next weekend at Honolulu Community College. I’ll be there, and am dragging my old buddy Tarvin Mākia along for the ride. It should be a great event.

Don’t forget also the Kaua‘i Music Festival at the end of July. I’ll be there as well, and as an instructor. Kenneth Makaukāne and I will revive our “Collaborative Hawaiian Songwriting” session which we first did at the Kōke‘e Songwriting Camp back in May, as well as conducting individual workshops.

If you’re serious about composing new music, you should really consider attended one or both of these events.